If you are one of those fantasy cricket and other fantasy sports app game enthusiasts on platforms like Dream11, you can’t help but wonder if these apps will ever return. Most fans in India are perplexed and concerned following the recent ban on real-money fantasy gaming websites. So what’s the actual story behind the exit of Dream11 and the status of fantasy apps in India?
Why were Dream11 and Fantasy Apps banned?
The turning point came with the Indian Parliament’s passing of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025. The act prohibits all types of online gaming with real money bets, such as fantasy sports played for money, poker, betting, and other forms. The legislation, to control gambling-related issues, mandates strong punishment in the form of imprisonment for up to three years and a fine of up to ₹1 crore for offenders. The act also makes promoters and company directors personally liable unless they can establish due diligence.
Dream11’s money-game business generated more than two-thirds of its revenue and was hit the hardest by this prohibition. Consequently, Dream11 said it has shut down all paid contests and shifted toward a free-to-play social gaming platform. Other prominent fantasy portals, such as MPL (Mobile Premier League) and My11Circle, have also been subject to similar restrictions and doubts due to this act.
What Has the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Said?
The official title sponsor of the Indian cricket team was Dream11 with an estimated contract worth USD 44 million (₹358 crore) between 2023 and 2026. But following the successful passage of the bill, Dream11 informed BCCI that it could no longer remain its sponsor, and the cricket body had to secure alternative partners ahead of mega events like the Asia Cup 2025. BCCI recognized Dream11’s pullout as a direct consequence of government intervention and stated the board will have a new tender for sponsorship.
Government’s Position and Motivations for the Ban
The primary goal of the Indian government in bringing the Online Gaming Bill 2025 is to provide for the regulation of the online gaming industry and stop gambling in the name of protecting public interest and avoiding addiction and financial loss. The stringent nature of the law is premised on concerns regarding the easy availability of real-money gaming apps to children and vulnerable individuals, and apprehensions regarding money laundering and unauthorized betting.
Though some voices within the industry and enthusiasts believe that fantasy sports are games of skill and not gambling, the government has chosen to treat real-money participation as gambling under this act, including no exemptions for fantasy sites paying cash prizes.
Reaction from Users and Fans
The prohibition and the withdrawal of Dream11 have left fantasy sports players and cricket enthusiasts disappointed in India. Most fans remember playing with small deposits and the excitement of winning payouts. Social media is awash with both positive and negative comments; some praise the move by the government, based on social welfare, but numerous others feel robbed of their beloved hobby and hope for fantasy apps to return via legal and regulated platforms.
Will Fantasy Apps Like Dream11 Come Back?
Dream11 has officially announced that it will not challenge the constitutional correctness of the new law and is working on turning around to other non-real money activities, such as free-to-play games, overseas markets, and sports-tech offerings like Fancode and Sportz Drip.
Without any cash prizes, the company could run experimental formats or use a subscription-based format, but real-money games are banned in India in the meantime.
Whether fantasy apps that involve cash contests will ever resume in India depends on the future policy changes or the interpretation of the law, or the amendment of the existing law.
No indication or timeframe of a policy change is present, and courts may turn into a discussion area in the event a company or stakeholders dispute the definition and regulation of fantasy sports. State positions differ, with some trying to prohibit online gambling, labeling it as gambling, which only creates more complexity for fantasy apps.
The comeback of Dream11 and other such fantasy gaming apps involving real-money bets in India is not very likely in the near future with the passing of the Online Gaming Bill 2025. The government’s strict provisions are driven by social issues related to gambling and addiction. Dream11 itself has already embraced this reality and is concentrating on non-monetary gaming activities and foreign markets.
Fans could have to get used to a new age in which fantasy sports are mostly free social games that do not directly pay out money. The possibility of real-money fantasy sports apps returning is subject to intricate legal and regulatory changes, which can take years.
Also Read: Indian Cricketers Set to Lose Rs 150-200 Crore Annually After Ban on Real-Money Online Gaming
